HOSKINSON, Riley M

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Riley reveals himself to be racist toward the Chinese 1886

Writing to The Osage Chronicle, Riley reveals dislike of Chinese immigrants, first expressed in 1877 in his "gloomy picture of California" (see above), is undiminished: "We have the Chinese excitement still on hand. Most all of them have gone from Seattle, but that does not satisfy the demand for there is a constant fear of their return. There are about one hundred and fifty of Uncle Sam's soldiers quartered in Seattle to make us behave decently, but they can't make us employ Chinese heathens to do our work for us." Elsewhere in the letter he refers to them as leeches. Riley also laments the impact of international trade in coal and lumber on the Northwest: "British ships come to San Francisco ballasted with coal from England and Australia, which they can sell at less cost than it can be produced and carried from here, and it is also of a better quality than ours. Added to all this there is an effort being made to admit Canadian lumber and coal, free of duty; or so nearly so as to work ruin to this region, that is almost entirely dependent on these industries...Some of our largest coal mines are already shut down, and the great saw mills are running on three-fourths time."